Biology

Physiology

The horn on Seel's head is exceptionally hard, due to it being made of toughened bone. Seel has a furry body that appears white, two flippers instead of feet, a tan-colored muzzle with a small black nose, small tusks, round eyes, and a tongue that is often seen outside of Seel's mouth. It lives in the frigid waters of the arctic, surviving because of its thick blubber. Its tail resembles a spout of water.

Gender differences

None.

Special abilities

This hide of fat looks like it is covered with snow-white fur from a distance, but, when magnified, the fur is actually a very light blue that gives it a seawater tinge whilst swimming. Seel's streamlined, curving body helps it to effortlessly swim through the cold seas, and its flippers propel it with ease. The flippers can also pull its body onto shore, but can only support its weight for a short time. Seel uses its horn to puncture ice so it can breathe. Its coarse hair can trap water and air to conserve body heat.

Behavior

The horn on the tip of Seel's head is used to chip away ice at the surface of the sea to create breathing holes. The small tusks can chip away at the ice too, and sometimes they engage in territorial fights where these tusks can be applied as weapons.

During the day, Seel can usually be spotted in shallow seas asleep on the seabed; however, it is additionally active during the evening hours, when it hunts and pursues prey effortlessly through the water. The colder the sea, the more active it is. When swimming, its nostrils close tightly when it swims. Seel only comes on land to give birth or socialize with others of its kind - it is exceptionally clumsy on land.

Habitat

Seel loves to live in extremely cold polar seas, which are often 40 degrees below 0. The frigid climate it lives in are full of ice floes. It exceptionally loves iceberg-filled oceans, where herds of Seel converge to play and socialize. It is found in Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, and Unova.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

In Pokémon Adventures, Seel is the first Pokémon Lorelei owned. As a child, Lorelei saw her Seel become poisoned due to the effects of nearby industrialization. Agatha, who was passing by, healed the Seel using her Gastly. This encounter with the negative effects that humanity had on Pokémon would be the motivation Lorelei had to join the Elite Four in a plot to destroy all humanity years later.

Trivia

Seel can be seen as a parallel to Spheal. Both of them are Water/Ice-type Pokémon. Seel is exclusive to Pokémon Diamond, while Spheal is exclusive to Pokémon Pearl, with both found in the same locations in their respective versions. Additionally, both can only be obtained by breeding their evolved forms in Pokémon Platinum. Both Pokémon also appear to be based on Pinnipeds.

Origin

Seel is based on seal pups, bearing resemblance to a newborn harp seal. The horn on the top of Seel's head may also be loosely based on the narwhal.